Depression and thoughts of suicide among teenage girls shows an alarming increase in the last 10 years, according to a Center for Disease Control (CDC) report released this month.

57 percent of high school girls reported hopelessness or sadness in 2021 compared to 36% in 2011. 30% had seriously considered suicide, compared to 19% in 2011. 24% actually had a suicide plan.

Of high school students in general, 42% reported persistent sadness or hopelessness. 18% said they had made a plan to commit suicide and 10% had actually attempted it. In the much-touted world of LGBTQ+ students, 45% said they had seriously considered suicide.

Fox News declared that “Mental health of teenagers across the board was bleak.”

So, how can Bible believers view this topsy turvy world?

We must realize that we are dealing with youngsters who have a completely different worldview. All of the biblical terms of joy and peace and long-suffering and temperance have been tossed out the window by school administrators.

These various conditions of the human mind are now clinically classified as mental health. Bad moods are now mental illnesses. Bad thoughts are someone else's fault to be identified through a lengthy process of psychoanalysis.

Bad circumstances are to be cured by government policy or medical counseling.

Some of the blame for the cultural decay resides on the doorstep of the churches. Instead of calling sin “sin” and prescribing the remedy of forgiveness through the cross, pastors have avoided the hard task of guiding people to repentance.

Those who are deeply disturbed because of their sin are often allowed to assume the diagnosis of mental depression and shunted to ungodly “professionals.”

This is the valuable part that Chick Publications has played over the years: the no-nonsense tracts call people to repentance first, preparing them then for true discipleship that usually cures what the world classifies as depression and anxiety.

This escalation in godlessness in our culture places teenage girls in an extremely vulnerable position. God's original design of the union between a godly man and a supportive woman left her naturally vulnerable if the system broke down. And there is no doubt that the system is broken.

Godly manhood is disparaged by entertainment heroes that glorify bad behavior and a society that encourages competition for positions of power. This leaves the ladies with few good choices for mates and trying to maneuver dysfunctional families.

Bible believers need to also recognize additional forces that Satan has brought into our culture to destroy our children. A foundational evil is atheistic evolution. By eliminating God, people were free to ignore his guidelines for a happy and purposeful life.

But that freedom brings only anxiety and despair because God created man to worship Him and love our neighbors. If the person has a right relationship to his Creator, there will be the proper use of social media, a correct view of identity and gender, and clear purpose of why we are here.

Author Y.T. Lee wrote about peoples' need for a "purposeful life" in his book, "Darwin’s Universe: Survival for Nothing"

Darwinists, and Evolutionists as well, hope to bury God in an avalanche of a causeless universe and a godless evolution. However, instead of liberating us, they plunge us into a cosmic depression. We are reduced to: From Nothing, By Nothing, For Nothing - an accidental leftover from the Big Bang, evolved by a lucky chance, and here for no ultimate purpose. Humans are left with a meaningless existence.

Cultural decay around us is easily seen by even the casual observer. Our temptation is to bemoan the burgeoning evil. Instead, we must see it as an opportunity for truth to dispel the lies wherever we can.

The good news of the gospel is desperately needed and one simple way to spread that good news is by gospel tracts. But part of that good news is our display to the world that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

We cannot afford to play the ain't-it-awful game. We must go out boldly with the message of repentance and forgiveness by a loving God. This is the only solution to the distress of these teenage girls and everyone else suffering the depression and anxiety of their lostness.